Camp Rofelio Surfing Beach Resort

TL;DR: Camp Rofelio has clean pool, good lounging areas, and friendly staff, but the overall stay felt underwhelming due to poor bathroom cleanliness, weak internet and signal, and pricey food. We stayed at Camp Rofelio in the Botanical Hall (2nd floor), and we found that the price did not meet our expectations. For one, the room did not look well-maintained. The walls and corners of the room were darkened, either with mold or dust (or both). The outside balcony was dusty and full of cobwebs. One pillow had a large dark spot on it. The toiletries were also not prepared when we arrived, we walked with the resort staff to the room to see them spraying the room with a disinfecting spray, while bringing the toiletries and towels after. But perhaps our biggest issue was the CR in our room. For context, we chose to stay in the Botanical Hall 2nd Floor (priced at 3.6k) instead of the 3rd Floor (priced at 3.1k) for the exclusive use of our own bathroom. However, the experience was a nightmare—the water was salty, at one point it was rust-colored, and has low pressure. The shower head could not be hung so it was a struggle to bathe. The CR generally smelled nasty, like that of sewage. It’s worth noting that this issue may only be specific to our experience with this room. This review of the CR may not necessarily reflect others’ experience. The room was also difficult for internet connection—it was a dead spot for the wifi and there was barely any signal (but this could be an issue with the general Liwa area). Lastly, the food from their restaurant is quite pricey. For the positives, the pool is great. It is clean, well-maintained, and open until 10PM. The resort staff was filtering the pool early in the morning. Another positive is that there is free breakfast and coffee. We were served the typical Filipino breakfast of sinangag, egg, corned beef, and hotdog. While the breakfast is not mind-blowing on its own, the fact that it is free is still a good thing. Another good thing is there are a lot of available chairs for lounging, around the pool and beach area. Lastly, the resort staff are kind and approachable. They were able to assist us late at night for our needs. Now, this part of the review is more of a “good-to-know” about the general area. The area around the resort has no night life. Most places were closed around 8PM already, even the resort restaurant itself. Granted, we stayed there on a weekday so this may not be true on the weekends. It may be hard to look for food around the area at night, given how sketchy the area is with little to no lighting on the street. As much as possible, buy your food before 8PM if you have no vehicle with you. With the beach geared toward surfers, it is expectedly not as swimming-friendly. The waves are strong and the shore is rocky. Overall, the experience at Camp Rofelio was underwhelming given the cleanliness and price of the accommodation.

Camp Rofelio Beach Resort in San Felipe, Zambales is a vibrant, beachfront gem that offers the perfect balance of fun and relaxation. My family and I we’re surprised that there were so many activities within the area. From personal experience, this place deserves a good rating. The staff are incredibly accommodating and friendly, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere from the moment you arrive. The resort is filled with beautiful artwork, adding a unique and creative charm to the space that enhances the overall vibe. Weekends come alive with entertainment, including live music, bonfires, and fire shows. There’s plenty to enjoy- an outdoor pool, ATVs, volleyball, and more. But if you prefer a quieter scene, like we do, weekdays are ideal. The resort is more peaceful and calming with fewer guests.

We stayed at this resort for 3 days and 2 nights, but unfortunately, the experience didn’t fully meet our expectations. When we got to our room, the bedsheets weren’t clean, which was already disappointing. We also spotted some cockroaches, which made us uncomfortable. The water pressure in the bathroom was really low, so even just showering was a hassle. The towels weren’t absorbent at all—more like thin cloth than actual towels. There was no WiFi in our room, which was a bit frustrating since we were expecting to use it. There was also no tissue provided, and we noticed a leak under the sink, which added to the inconvenience. On a positive note, the breakfast was actually good—we enjoyed that part of the stay. The location of the resort is also nice, but all the other issues really affected our overall experience. Hoping the management can work on improving the cleanliness and facilities for future guests.

The staff greeted us with warm smiles and exceptional hospitality. The entire property is beautifully maintained. The food was really good. I really enjoyed jamming with their live band. I was also amazed with the performance of their fire dancers.

My friends and I availed one of their teepees, published as good for 12 persons. When we checked in, there were only enough beds for 9 people. Each of the 3 beds in the loft was 1.5x the size of a single bed. It should have been published as 12 family members only, instead of for 12 adults. There's 1 bathroom for the entire teepee, but we had access to the shared showers and restrooms. Our teepee's bathroom has seen better days, but the hot water was still working fine. No toiletries, just bath towels that we still had to request. There's a working mini-ref and 2 ACUs, one per floor. There's also a dirty kitchen in the porch area out front, but no tools or appliances. You'll have to bring your own if you want to cook. The hidden fees mentioned in the other reviews here is perhaps the corkage fee counted per head if you want to bring any outside food. 'Cherry on top' was the awful smell of the loft of our teepee. We asked the staff for air freshener, which they sprayed upstairs, but the bad smell came back within the hour. It reeked like that of a dog's, but a bit sharper as it lingered throughout our stay there. In the morning of our check-out, we heard squeaky noises behind the wall near the apex of the roof. Googled a bit and I think that the unit we got has a bat infestation. We didn't bother complaining to the staff anymore because we're checking out anyway and the staff didn't seem to care when we asked for the freshener the first time. The resort staff also didn't communicate with their restaurant's staff. We had a dinner order placed in advance and when we followed up with the reception, they told us to talk directly with the restaurant. The entirety of the resort is long, from one of the main roads of Liwliwa down to the beachfront. There were around 6 segments of the resort where each segment seemed like an addition through time. Our room was in the second segment nearest the beach so it was a good 3-minute walk from the reception (1st segment), but definitely nearer when going to the beach. It was raining when we checked in, so if the resort's umbrellas were all borrowed, you'll have to accept that you'll get wet or just let the rain up before going to your room. They have a motorized bell system but the bike they used has no covering, so your bags are likely to get wet as well.